Leo Segal, age 7, of Klammath Falls, Ore., for his question:

WHAT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST RODENT?

An animal that lives in eastern Panama and in South America east of the Andes called the capybara is the world's largest rodent. He grows to be up to four feet long and me may weigh over 100 pounds.

A capybara looks like a very large guinea pig or a small pig. He has a thick body that is covered with coarse hair that is reddish brown or gray on its upper parts and yellowish brown on its under parts.

He has a large head with a blunt, square muzzle. A capybara's hind legs are a bit longer than its front legs. He has webbed toes and can swim very well. Some people call him a water hog or water pig. In prehistoric times, capybaras lived in southeastern North America.